Southington to hold violent video game return program - WFSB 3 Connecticut

A group of Southington community members is holding a violent video game return program in response to the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown last month.

SouthingtonSOS said it will host the event on Jan. 12 at the Southington Drive-In on Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike from 9 a.m. until noon.

The town of Southington will have a trash bin there for the collection of the games, and anyone returning games will be offered a gift certificate donated by a member of the Southington Chamber of Commerce as a token of appreciation.

The Board of Education said it sent out information electronically about the event last week to Southington residents.

Members of SouthingtonSOS said the group's action is not intended to be construed as a statement declaring that violent video games were the cause of school shooting, but said "there is ample evidence that violent video games, along with violent media of all kinds, including TV and movies portraying story after story showing a continuous stream of violence and killing, has contributed to increasing aggressiveness, fear, anxiety and is desensitizing our children to acts of violence including bullying," according to a news release sent out by SouthingtonSOS.

SouthingtonSOS was started in response to the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown on Dec. 14.

Adam Lanza, 20, shot and killed his mother while she slept at her home before he went to Sandy Hook and killed 20 children and six adults.

He killed himself as police made their way into the building.

Copyright 2013 WFSB (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.